Locking means

ABSTRACT

A locking means for a receptacle that includes a container and cap that are moved into a closed position by moving the cap toward the container opening along a line generally parallel to the centerline of the container opening. The container is opened by removing the cap in the following manner, pivoting one point on the cap about another point on the edge opposite said first point. The locking means includes a male latching means and a female latching means. The male locking means includes a closure cam portion to lock the male locking means in the female locking means, a locking abutment located opposite the closure cam portion, and a opening cam portion for unlocking the male locking means from the female locking means. The female locking means includes a cavity for receiving the male locking means. The cavity includes a holding edge to mate with the locking abutment on the male latching means, and a camming edge to be moved by the opening cam portion of the male locking means.

United States atent Lunsiord 51 Feb. 29, 1972 [5 1 LOCK NG M NS Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe [72] Inventor: Walter Lunsford, 5718 Okeechobee Blvd., Attorney-Eugene Mann West Palm Beach, Fla. [22] Med: 1970 A locking means for a receptacle that includes a container and 2 App}, 15,547 cap that are moved into a closed position by moving the cap I toward the container opening along a line generally parallel to the centerline of the container opening. The container is [52] [1.8. CI ..292/19, 292/ 1 7, 292/76, opened by removing the cap in the following manner, pivoting 292/33, 24/214 one point on the cap about another point on the edge opposite [51] Int. Cl. ..E05c 19/06 said first point. The locking means includes a male latching [58] Field of Search ..292/ 19, 83, 17, 20, 76; means and a female latching means. The male locking means 339/91; 215/41; 220/60; 24/214 includes a closure cam portion to lock the male locking means in the female locking means, a locking abutment located op- 5 References Cited posite the closure cam portion, and a opening cam portion for unlocking the male locking means from the female locking UNITED STATES PATENTS means. The female locking means includes a cavity for receivin the male locking means. The cavity includes a holding 3,000,069 9/1961 Shears ..24/230 edgge to matewith the locking abutment on the male latching 3l83030 5/1965 292/203 means, and a camming edge to be moved by the opening cam 3,236,002 2/ 1966 Cunningham... .46/1 1 portion of the male locking means. 3,298,415 1/1967 Klygis ..150/.5

5 Claims, 4. Drawing Figures Patented Feb. 29, 1972 Flo-.1-

INVENTOR WALTER LUNSFORD LOCKING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This .invention relates to a new and improved locking means, and, more particularly, to a locking means for a receptacle that is closed by moving the cap directly into or over the opening in the container and is opened only by pivoting the cap directly away from the container about a point on the cap.

As is perhaps well known, many locking means have been provided to lock a cap on a container. Such locking means do not prevent removal of the cap by a procedure that is just the reverse of the closing procedure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A locking means for a receptacle that includes a container and a cap. The cap is moved to aclosed position over the container opening by moving the cap along the line that is generally parallel to the centerline of the opening. The cap may be removed from the container opening only by pivoting one point on the edge of the cap away from the container about a stationary second point on the opposite edge of the cap. The locking means includes a male locking means and a female locking means. The male locking-means is connected to one member of the receptacle and includes-a closure cam portion for camming the body portion surrounding one of the locking means away from the other locking means to place the male locking means in the femalelocking means. The female locking means includes a cavity that mates with the male locking means. The cavity is partially surrounded by a holding edge. The male locking means includes an abutment or latching means located opposite the closure cam portion that contacts the holding edge to prohibit removal of the cap from the opening in the container along a line generally parallel to the centerline of the container opening. The male locking means also includes an opening cam portion or opening means for camming the body portion surrounding 'said one locking means away from said other locking means to unlock abutment on the .male locking means from the holding edge on the female locking'means. The opening cam portion engages the removal edge, that partially surrounds the female locking means cavity, when the cap is pivotally removed from the container opening.

An object of this invention is to provide a noncomplex locking means that locks a cap against direct outward movement but allows the cap to be removed when pivoted about one edge of the cap.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a male locking means having a latching abutment opposite a closure cam portion for locking a receptacle and an opening cam surface to unlock the receptacle.

In accordance with these and other objects which will be apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the cap;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the cap shown in FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a isometric view of the male locking means;.and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the container and the. cap partially removed from the container opening.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now is detail to the drawing wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown, the locking means for the receptacle includes a container 18 shown in FIG. 4 and a cap 2, shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4. The cap is moved to a closed position over the container opening along the line generally parallel to the centerline of the container opening 36. The cap 2 is removed by pivoting a first point of the cap illustrated adjacent numeral 12 in FIG. 4, about a second point on the opposite edge of the cap, illustrated adjacent numeral 14.

The locking means includes male locking means 4 and 6, shown inFIG. l, and a female locking means Ill one of which is shown in FIG. 4. The male locking means is connected to one member of the receptacle, which may be the cap 2 as illustrated in the drawing. The male locking means may be placed on the container when the female locking means is on the cap. The male locking means, as illustrated, includes closure cam portions 8 for camming the body portion surrounding of the male locking means, or the female locking means away from the other locking means in order to lock the male locking means 4.and 5 in the female locking means 10.

The female locking means 10 includes cavities or openings to receive the male locking means. Each female locking means includesa holdingedge 22. The male locking means 4 and 6 include locking abutments or barriers 86 located opposite the closure cam portions 8. Each abutment or barrier 86 contacts the holding edge 22 to prevent the cap 2 from being removed from the opening in the container 18 along a line generally parallel to the centerline of the container opening. Each male locking means 4 and 6 includes an opening cam portion. Cam surface 20 and cam lines or edges 26 and 28 may form the opening cam portion for camming the body portion surrounding one locking means away from said other latching means in order to unlock the male locking means 4 or 6 from the female locking means 10. The opening cam portion engages the body portion surrounding the female locking means when the-cap is rotated in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4 to remove the cap 2 from the container opening 36.

The cap 2, as illustrated in the drawings, is generally V- shaped having an inner base 32 with an overlapping outer edge 34. The opening between the legs in the V-shaped member may be covered by an extension of the overlapping outer edge, adjacent numeral 12. The sides 30 slope toward the general centerline of the cap between the overlapping outer edge 34 and the inner base 32, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The male latching means 6 includes a generally unused vertical side 40 with a flat top portion 88. The male latching means may be in the fon'n of a half sphere with one portion removed to form an abutment as a 90 angle to the flat base of the sphere. The male latching means may also be in the form of a cone with a portion of the cone removed. The half-coneshaped male latching means is formed by removing one side of a cone by splitting the cone by a plane extending between the peak of the cone and the base of the cone.

It should be also noted that the cap and container may be of various well-known shapes. The cap may be round in shape as well as triangular or rectangular in shape. The specific shape, size and proportion of the latching means and the specific spacial relationship between each latching means may be varied according to the size and special relationship of the specific cap, container and latching means.

It should be noted that the latching means may include an extra cam opening means, not shown, on the unused vertical face of the latching means. When the latching means includes two-cam opening means and the latching means is placed at a midpoint on the cap between the lifting points, the cap may be removed by lifting either of the lifting points. The lifting points are located opposite one another on the cap. When the one lifting point is moved, the other lifting point becomes the pivot point.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom withinthe scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A fastener comprising;

a female member including a body portion which surrounds a wall forming an aperture in said body, a male member including a body with a raised portion,

said raised portion including an upwardly sloping face in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the male. member toward a locked position in said female IOIOIH (1045 member, said sloping face caming the body of at least one member away from the other member to place said male member in said female member,

generally flat face on said raised portion positioned apertures generally aligned about the single centerline,

two male members including two body portions generally 7 aligned about a single centerline, whereby said cup member is released by rotating one edge about an opposite edte. 3. A fastener as set forth in claim 2 wherein, said female members are rectangular, said male members are prisms with the sloping face and sloping edge at an acute angle to said walk, and said flat face generally parallel to said wall.

4. A fastener as set forth in claim 2, wherein: said female members are in said container member, and said male members are in said cap member.

5. A fastener as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

said female members are rectangular holes and said male members are prisms with the sloping face and sloping edge at an acute angle to said walk and said flat face generally parallel to said wall.

generally opposite said sloping face for engaging said 5 wall of said female member to lock against movement of the male member in a direction generally opposite to said direction of movement of the male member toward a locked position in said female member, and at least one sloping edge between said sloping face and flat face, said edge sloping outwardly to one side of said male body to cam at least one member away from the other member when said male member is moved relative to the female member in a direction toward lower edge of said sloping edge. 2. A fastener as set forth in claim 1 including, a receptacle that includes a container member and a cap member with at least one of said members being resilient,

two female members including two body portions with 

1. A fastener comprising; a female member including a body portion which surrounds a wall forming an aperture in said body, a male member including a body with a raised portion, said raised portion including an upwardly sloping face in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the male member toward a locked position in said female member, said sloping face caming the body of at least one member away from the other member to place said male member in said female member, a generally flat face on said raised portion positioned generally opposite said sloping face for engaging said wall of said female member to lock against movement of the male member in a direction generally opposite to said direction of movement of the male member toward a locked position in said female member, and at least one sloping edge between said sloping face and flat face, said edge sloping outwardly to one side of said male body to cam at least one member away from the other member when said male member is moved relative to the female member in a direction toward lower edge of said sloping edge.
 2. A fastener as set forth in claim 1 including, a receptacle that includes a container member and a cap member with at least one of said members being resilient, two female members including two body portions with apertures generally aligned about the single centerline, two male members including two body portions generally aligned about a single centerline, whereby said cup member is released by rotating one edge about an opposite edte.
 3. A fastener as set forth in claim 2 wherein, said female members are rectangular, said male members are prisms with the sloping face and sloping edge at an acute angle to said walk, and said flat face generally parallel to said wall.
 4. A fastener as set forth in claim 2, wherein: said female members are in said container member, and said male members are in said cap member.
 5. A fastener as set forth in claim 4, wherein: said female members are rectangular holes and said male members are prisms with the sloping face and sloping edge at an acute angle to said walk and said flat face generally parallel to said wall. 